Asian Military Review — May 2017

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WARFARE

Type-97 assault rifles, the export variants

of which are designated as the QBZ-

family. The Type-97 family comprises the

5.56mm Type-97 Squad Machine Gun;

Type-97A Automatic Rifle in bullpup

configuration; 5.56mm Short Assault rifle;

5.56mm CQ-A automatic rifle for CQB; and

5.56mm sniper rifle. Additionally, Norinco

manufactures light weaponry including

the LG4 40mm multi-grenade launcher;

9mm NP42 handgun; and NSG-1 7.62mm

high precision sniper rifle.

Following comments made by the

Russian administration in January,

describing the availability of SALW

as well as tactical platforms, the DND

is also considering multiple Russian-

manufactured options as reported in

AMR’s SALW for SOF article, published

in our November 2016 edition. These

include various weapons unveiled at the

Russian Ministry of Defence’s (MOD’s)

Army 2016 Military Technical Forum

held on 6th September 2016 near Moscow,

ranging from the Kalashnikov AK-

7.62mm assault rifle; and Kalashnikov

MA Compact Assault Rifle; as well as

pass on the advanced combat shooting

skills,” a DOD spokesperson explained

to AMR: “After the course is over, the

regular infantry soldiers will take these

innovative teaching and combat shooting

skills back to their School of Infantry and

infantry battalion training positions to

further impart the knowledge.”

Philippines
Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific, Chinese
and Russian SALW products continue to
proliferate the market with the Philippines
Department of National Defence (DND)
considering the procurement of multiple
weapons. On 1st February, the DND signed
a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) agreement
with the US government which included 400
Colt M-203 UGLs as well as 85 Remington
M-40A5 7.62mm sniper rifles. The news
follows an uplift of SALW capability in
October 2016 which saw the Philippine
Army’s Special Operations Command and
the Philippine Navy Special Operations
Group (NAVSOG) receive Glock-30 11.5mm
handguns. Defence sources explained to
AMR how the Philippines’ special forces

continue to conduct Counter-Insurgency

(COIN) operations against the Abu Sayyaf

insurgent group in Basilan Province, in

the south of the archipelago, resulting in

ongoing demand for increased lethality and

accuracy across its available range of SALWs,

particular for Close Quarter Battle (CQB).

According to industry sources

associated with the region, speaking to

AMR at the International Defence Exhibition

and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi,

United Arab Emirates on 21st February,

the DND is considering a multi-million

dollar procurement of weapon systems

from the PRC to assist forces conducting

COIN and counter-narcotics missions.

Sources explained how troops from the

army’s Special Forces Regiment (SFR) and

NAVSOG were conducting an evaluation

of the technology, including networked

sniper rifles and assault rifles for round-

the-corner engagements. Meanwhile, on

20th December 2016, the PRC offered the

DND nearly $500 million in military aid

including SALW technology with industry

sources explaining how SALWs under

consideration includes Norinco’s family of

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